


I Know I'm Not the First One

by DoYourResearch



Series: The John Watson & Catherine Moyle Saga [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-26 02:07:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20036101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoYourResearch/pseuds/DoYourResearch
Summary: Sequel toI Know I'm Not the Only One.Four years have passed and John Watson is living in domestic bliss with Catherine and their growing family. Things are perfect except that his wife is terrified something is just around the corner. What she doesn't know is that it's his late wife and daughter... and they are quite alive. Will their marriage be able to survive John's first family?





	I Know I'm Not the First One

It was well past any decent hour to be awake, but Catherine Watson did not have an early morning class to teach but her comatose husband, Dr. John Watson most certainly did. She quickly switched off the baby monitor that she kept on her nightstand, still hearing the cries of their son, two-year-old Johnny echoing from down the hall. They had only just moved the toddler to his own room nearly a week ago and it was not going well. She wished she could say they had done it so she and her husband could enjoy some personal time, but her newest baby bump indicated they had no problem with that. 

Cathy, as she preferred to go by, wrapped her dressing gown around herself before shuffling as quietly as she could from the room. She didn’t know why she bothered. John could sleep through an elephant stampede without stirring for a moment. On nights that he promised to take over baby duty so she could get a good night’s sleep for a change, he would need to turn the baby monitor’s volume so high up to be able to wake him that it would also wake her as well, defeating the purpose of taking turns. 

“Mommy!” the toddler called out into the hallway. They had learned by the second night to put the baby gate in his doorway to avoid him from turning up unexpectedly in their bed and scaring them senseless. 

“Mommy’s coming,” Cathy whispered into the night as she walked down the hallway of their rather spacious London home. She had not wanted something so extravagant, but now that she was pregnant for a fourth time, she was grateful for the space.

When Cathy approached the door of her son’s room, she looked down as calmly as she could and asked gently, “What’s wrong, honey?”

“Mommy,” he repeated and then pointed back, “The window!”

Cathy frowned and then looked into his room at the window on the far side. She sighed, stepping awkwardly over the gate rather then fighting with the locking mechanism and cautiously approached it. She had a rather difficult past that could not be easily explain so when someone expressed even the simplest safety concern, she took it seriously. It didn’t matter that it was a two-year-old who would do anything to sleep back in his parents’ room. 

Without realizing it, Cathy held her breath as she cautiously approached the glass and stared out into the street. They were on the second floor and nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. She began to step back until something collided with the window, causing her to scream and stumble back. Johnny started crying as her feet became mixed up amongst his toys, causing her to fall back onto a pile of Legos, the worst toy ever invented in her opinion.

Screams began to echo through the house and soon she heard John call out in a panic, “Cathy! Are you ok?!”

Cathy looked up to the window from her uncomfortable position on the floor and saw the culprit was a pigeon trying to find purchase on the small ledge, his wings beating repeatedly on the glass.

“I’m in Johnny’s room!” she called out as she rolled off her son’s toys and held her arms out to him. She ignored the pain of plastic toys pinching her skin and said, “It’s ok, sweetie, it was just a bird.” Tears were streaming down his face as he gnawed on his thumb. He hesitantly approached her and then allowed her to wrap her arms around him. She sighed and said, “Do you want to sleep with mommy and daddy tonight?” He nodded eagerly, causing the tears to quickly stop.

“Christ, what happened?” John said, sliding into view at the doorway. He was holding their younger daughter, four-year-old Kimmy, who was crying in confusion. Quickly appearing behind him was their oldest child, Aveline. 

It didn’t take a consulting detective’s skills to know that their oldest daughter bared no resemblance to her father. Their oldest child also did not have the Watson name. She was the daughter of the late Mycroft Holmes, brother of famous consulting detective Sherlock Holmes. Because of Mycroft, she feared for her life and that of her family on a regular basis. Being pregnant made things especially harder as she could not take her regular anxiety medications while pregnant. It made nights like these want to rip her hair out.

The bird was already gone, leaving John to only see his pregnant wife on the floor. He flipped the lights on, causing everyone to hiss from sudden assault on their eyes and kicked the gate out of the way before setting Kimmy down. He kneeled beside Cathy and asked in a panic, “Are you ok? Does anything hurt?”

“I’m ok, I just fell on some toys. I might have a Lego man up my butt though,” she joked. He did not laugh, he only looked her over in concern and asked again, “What happened?”

“There was a pigeon hitting the window. Scared the sh-poop out of me!” she said, correcting herself. She missed when the kids were too young to repeat the words she said. Aveline, now eight years old, probably had an arsenal of swear words that she was smart enough not to repeat around her parents. 

John repeatedly questioned how she was feeling before he finally accepted that she was ok. He had to ask Aveline to hold Johnny’s hand when he screamed from being detached from his mother. Once she was toddler free, John was able to help his wife back to her feet. 

Once standing, the couple looked at one another and then to the children. It would only be a few more hours before John needed to be up for work. He taught classes at Guy’s Hospital to young medical students and knew that he would be cutting his morning lectures short, which would delight his students. 

“Well,” John said, “since we’re all quite awake, why don’t we have some drinking chocolate?”

“Yay!” Aveline and Kimmy quickly cheered. Johnny was too distraught to know what was happening. Cathy began to bend to pick him up, but John stopped her. “I got him,” he said kindly and picked their son up, who had returned to chewing on his thumb. It was a habit they were trying desperately to break.

The tired parents led their family to the kitchen. John was quick to have Cathy sit at the table and asked Kimmy to grab the marshmallows while he put on the kettle. She pulled the stool reserved just for her when she was allowed to help in the kitchen from underneath the sink and used it to reach the top shelf of the cabinet by the fridge where they kept the sweets. Aveline needed no instruction to pull out the box of drinking chocolate mix. She was tall for her age and able to reach higher than the other children, no stool needed. Cathy and John often joked that she would be taller than them both soon. Height was not something that ran in either of their families but was evident in the Holmes family.

Cathy smiled contently, rubbing her four-month bump as she watched John balance their son on his hip, speaking to him softly about the treat they were going to have. Johnny finally realized that everything was ok, and quite better since he was going to have a sweet treat without having to pick up his toys first. 

It amazed Cathy that John had been in her life for ten years, she thought as she watched her family. They had some serious ups and downs, and he really had every excuse to leave before Aveline was born but he had stuck around despite all the stupid things she had done. He had even delivered her and raised her as her own, even when Mycroft was alive.

This was never the life she had planned. She had wanted to be a doctor and travel the world, which she did. But then she became partially responsible for the staged death of Mycroft Holmes, was placed on house arrest while pregnant with his child, lost her medical license, and then harbored him when he turned out to be alive, only to watch him die by assisted suicide when they found out he was terminally ill. Despite it all, she wouldn’t trade the life she had for anything. She adored her growing family and the life they had. After years of being so detached from people and having no one to call family, she had assumed keeping her distance was for the best. She remembered fighting with John when he wanted to get more serious. Now, she couldn’t believe she ever put up a fight.

It didn’t take too long for the kettle to whistle, causing the children to cheer. John cheered along with them as he danced between them to get to the cabinet over the sink and grab the mugs. For Kimmy and Johnny, he made a trip to the icebox for some ice cubes as he knew they would be too impatient to let their drinks cool. 

“Who wants to put the marshmallows in?” John asked as Aveline opened the packets of drinking chocolate and helped pour them in the mug. Johnny, with his thumb back in his mouth, raised his free hand. Kimmy and Aveline were too busy sneaking a few of the squishy treats in their mouths. 

John reclaimed the bag but did not scold his daughters. Then he helped his son drop the marshmallows in the mug after setting him down on the counter. They counted slowly…1, 2, 3. Making sure everyone had the same amount in their mugs. Once the cups had everything they need, John made sure all the kids were safely seated at the table with their mother and carefully poured the hot water in them. The smell carried over and children clapped as he brought them out.

Cathy didn’t mind that she was served last but appreciated the extra marshmallow John snuck in her mug along with the kiss he gave her when he set it down before her. The children feigned disgust at their display of affection but then smiled happily from the sugar rush. John sneaked off to get his phone and returned to snap a picture of them sporting identical chocolate mustaches. He showed it to Cathy and said, “What do you think?”

“I think we have a bunch of goofballs for kids,” she joked. Aveline giggled and said, “Johnny’s the goofiest!”

They all turned to the youngest and saw he was trying to stick a marshmallow up his nose.

“No, Johnny!” Cathy laughed, getting up to pull the now gooey treat from him. He cried for a moment before realizing he still had his sweet drink before and forgot about shoving things up his nose. 

Kimmy giggled and asked, “Mommy, have I ever put things in my nose?”

Cathy joked to John and asked, “How many things did we have to take her to A&E for?”

John replied, “So many things, Kimmy Bear, so many things! I’m pretty sure you managed to get lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!”

The young child laughed harder than anyone at the table, snorting several times and causing everyone else to laugh harder with her. 

The sun was beginning to creep in the windows, indicating that they had stayed up until dawn. John sighed and said, “It’s going to be a long day for us both.” Cathy simply nodded and said, “Alright, kiddos! Let’s try and get a tiny bit more sleep or else we’ll all have to take naps later.”

“No naps!” Kimmy protested. Aveline agreed, “No naps!” Johnny was already nodding off in his booster seat to care. John saw him as well and said, “You take the girls?” Cathy nodded and said, “No naps if we all go back to bed now.”

Aveline was quick to get up and rush back to her room without another word. Kimmy stood at the opening of the hallway and asked, “Mommy, can you tuck me in?”

“Of course, sweetheart,” Cathy said softly. She nodded to John who was carefully picking up their son and followed her daughter to her princess pink room. Despite not influencing any of their kids towards gender biased things, it took one Disney princess movie and she was hooked. She was a girly girl and Cathy sometimes wondered if she really did birth her. Then she looked into her eyes and saw the darkness she saw when she looked into her own reflection along with her nose and lips and knew she belonged to her. Like Johnny, she had blonde hair that had clearly come from John. Johnny’s entire complexion favored John, which made it even easier to name him after his father. As for Aveline, she had silky fine auburn hair and eyes that changed with her mood from Mycroft. 

Cathy tucked Kimmy in, giving her plenty of playful kisses across her face. She could already see sleep starting to creep up on the four-year-old when she went to turn the light off, leaving nothing but her glowing unicorn nightlight on. She quietly shut the door and then went next door to Aveline’s room.

Aveline was clearly Mycroft’s daughter. It sometimes scared her how similar she was to the father she could barely remember. She had told Cathy many times about blurry memories of Mycroft, and often recalled the Elizabethan manor in the countryside that she had been born in with more detail than she had expected. She was never sure why anything Aveline did surprised her. She was as brilliant as she expected her to be for a Holmes. She was in gifted programs at school and had already skipped a year. 

Aveline’s room was a harsh contrast to her sister’s room. Her room was painted a light grey and she had cut outs of clouds, water drops, and rainbows on her wall. She did not like rainbows because they were pretty. When her uncle Sherlock had talked about light refracting and dispersing among water droplets in the sky, she became obsessed. 

The auburn-haired child was already settling in bed when Cathy entered. “I’m ok, mom. I can tuck myself in,” she said proudly. Cathy smiled warmly and said, “I’m always up for the job if you change your mind.” Still, she stepped over to her daughter’s bed and placed a kiss to her forehead, “Goodnight, honey.” Aveline smiled contently, closing her eyes and said, “Goodnight, mama.”

Cathy turned the light off as she left and closed the door as well. As she backed away from the door, she almost yelled when John bumped into her while leaving Johnny’s room. He braced her arms and said, “Sorry, it’s just me.”

“It’s ok,” Cathy said more to herself than to John. He frowned and asked, “Are you sure you’re ok?” You’ve been more jumpy this time around. Maybe we should have the doctor come around again?” He lowered a hand to her stomach and rubbed gently.

It was true that this pregnancy off her medications had her more anxious than ever before. She couldn’t help feeling like something was going to happen. She knew it was silly to think they weren’t safe. Money was no issue thanks to Mycroft, which allowed them to afford the most thorough security system.

Anthea, who was Mycroft’s former assistant, had managed to get back in the good graces of MI-5 and had risen in the ranks of the intelligence community. She now held the position Mycroft had held, making her essentially the British government. She ensured they were as secure as Downing Street and Buckingham Palace. She was also the godmother to Aveline and her partner, Harry was Kimmy’s godfather.

Security should not be a concern, but Cathy still felt dread. Everything startled her. If one of the kids woke up early from a nap and knocked something over, her body would become drenched in a cold sweat. If she watched a scary movie and let her mind wander to much, she would stay up all night thinking of the worst things imaginable. She had been diagnosed with PTSD a year after Mycroft had died. John, who was similarly afflicted, had supported her in getting the help she needed.

Every month, the MI-5 sanctioned psychiatrist that Anthea had found for her after a particularly nasty meltdown would come to the house for an hour-long session with Cathy. Since her first missed period, she had been off her medication for the safety of the baby and was trying her best to cope. John knew she was struggling and did his best to be more mindful around the house but sometimes things happened that couldn’t be avoided.

Cathy sighed and let John envelope her in a hug. The exhaustion of the morning’s events were finally hitting her and she felt sleepy against his warm body.

“’I’m ok,” she told him through a yawn as he began to lead her back to their room. Thankfully, John managed to get their son to sleep in his own room, so she was able to sprawl out on her side of the bed without contorting her body to accommodate him.

John laid beside her and stroked her hair, “You’re so strong, Cathy. I know this pregnancy is rough but I promise we’re safe. If it would help, I could request a personal leave from work until everything settles down again.”

“No,” Cathy said, “you love teaching. You don’t need to do that.” 

John did love teaching and he didn’t do it for the money. Ever since he and Sherlock became semi-retired detectives, he had needed something to occupy his time. He never thought he’d enjoy teaching as much as he did. It allowed him to stay current with the newest happenings in the medical world and he was able to prepare doctors for the future. He also became a resource for students looking to join the military after they completed their studies. He didn’t want them going in without knowing what to expect. He also made sure they were aware of the services available for them when they returned home.

“I love you more than I love teaching. If it made you feel safer, I’d do it,” he offered. She gave him a weak smile and said, “It’s ok for now.”

John ran a hand over her bump and said, “I’ve been thinking of taking an early retirement once the baby is here. It’s not fair for you to have four kids on your own all day.”

“Don’t be silly. Aveline is in school and Kimmy’s starting this fall. There’s no need,” Cathy said. John nuzzled against her, “I just want to spend more time with my family.”

The hand resting on Cathy’s stomach slowly trailed lower to the band of her yoga pants, a sort of uniform she had become accustomed to as a stay-at-home mother. She let out a content sigh, forgetting what she was going to say to John as his hand slipped under the fabric.

“This might make me a dirty dog, but I love your body like this,” John whispered into her ear as his fingers brushed against the area she wanted him to touch most. She quietly moaned and replied, “I’m a mess, you know.”

“No,” John replied, kissing her neck now, “seeing you with my child, over and over again makes me want you even more. I would give you a dozen kids if I could.” His nose nuzzled into her hair and he breathed her scent in as if it gave him life before he slowly pushed a finger between her wet folds.

The gasp his wife let out encouraged him to grind his hips against her. He leaned his chest in closer so he could reach her mouth and claim it, letting their tongues tangle as if fighting for dominance. When she pulled back to gently bite his lip, he growled and pulled entirely away. 

Before Cathy could protest the separation, he was over her with his fingers curled into the waistband of her yoga pants and pulling them down her legs. 

“I have to have you,” he said, clearly a main with a singular thought. She lifted her hips to help him and then was forced to bite into the palm of her hand as he unexpectedly dropped onto his stomach and buried his face between her legs.

“John,” Cathy gasped, pulling her hand from her mouth before she drew blood. She then tangled her fingers in his grey hair and threw her head back as his tongue worked miracles. His fingers gripped at her thighs but not so hard to leave bruises as he normally did when she wasn’t pregnant. She loved the marks on her skin from their lovemaking. She very rarely was able to do the same to him but even he admitted to loving the marks her mouth left on his chest or neck, even if it was irritating to cover it during his lectures.

John lifted his head and replaced his tongue with his fingers, using two to thrust into her. He hooked them ever so slightly with each stroke, causing a muffled symphony of sounds. His face glistened into the pale light that came through the windows from the street as the sun had not yet reached their window. He looked up at her with a grin, “I swear you taste so much sweeter when you’re pregnant.” Without waiting for a reaction, he lowered his head once more and continued his ministrations until he felt her legs tense and her moans grow louder.

Once Cathy came down from her glorious high, she tasted herself on John’s lips as he came up to kiss her. Somewhere along the way, he had already slipped his pajama bottoms off. They were both still dressed above the waist in case one of the children came in unannounced, a precaution they adopted very early on. 

John nestled between her legs and kissed her in a lazy, delicious way. He was in no rush as he still had nearly an hour before he needed to start getting ready for work. 

“You are…” John said, pausing to kiss her, “so fucking sexy.” He gave her no chance to respond as he shifted his hips and was pressing his impressive cock in her. She gripped his shoulders tightly and groaned, “Fuck.” Her head tilted back, allowing John to nibble and suck at the exposed skin of her neck.

Despite the curve of her abdomen, they pressed closely together. She put a leg around John’s and begged him to go harder and faster. He obliged, burying his face in the crook of her neck as the pleasure built within him.

“So good,” John moaned, “you feel so fucking good.”

“I’m going to come,” Cathy groaned in his ear. Her fingers pressed into his skin and her teeth dug into her lower lip as she tried to keep as quiet as possible. She tipped over the edge when she felt John’s teeth sink into the flesh of her shoulder. It wasn’t hard enough to break the skin, but it was a kind of delicious pain he didn’t often give her.

John’s grunts were muffled in her skin as he found his release, spilling inside her for no reason other than it was too good not to. 

“Fuck,” John groaned slowly after a few moments and he returned to his senses. He raised off her body to avoid putting to much pressure on her and collapsed on his back beside her.

“It’s been a bloody decade and I can’t get enough of you,” John chuckled, turning his head to look at the side of her face as she caught her breath. He could see the red of her cheeks so vividly along with the red mark he had left on her shoulder despite the dimness in the room.

With some effort due to exhaustion, she turned her head to similarly face him and smiled, “The feeling is mutual.”

“Thank god,” John said with more laughter, “I was worrying I’m getting to old for this.”

“You’re pretty spry for fifty,” she smiled and then rolled on her side. She draped an arm across John’s chest, admiring that he was still solid and fit for his age. When she wasn’t pregnant, they often worked out together. Now, Cathy joked that her only exercise involved chasing the children or having sex.

“You keep me young,” John said, kissing the top of her head as she rested it on his shoulder. He glanced at her shoulder and saw the angry mark he left and said, “I’m sorry I bit you so hard. I didn’t mean to leave a mark.”

“I liked it,” Cathy said with an already sleepy tone. He smiled into her long brown hair that fanned out along her back. It had been years since she cut it. He almost missed the short cut from when he had first met her. She had been talking about donating her hair, but he avoided voicing an opinion. He wanted her to do whatever made her happy. 

John gently rubbed a hand between her shoulder blades and within moments, she had fallen asleep. He knew there was no point in sleeping now so he gently slipped away from her, replacing his body with a pillow as he moved. She did not stir, which surprised him as she was usually a light sleeper. He grabbed his phone from the nightstand and used the glow of the screen to maneuver around the dark room to grab an outfit for his day.

Once John selected an outfit that he hoped would match in the light of day, he quietly entered their bathroom and gently shut the door before flicking the lights on.

It was like being on autopilot as John pulled his shirt off and stepped into the large shower. It had no door and was set deep to avoid any overspray. He smiled at the grey tiles, already replaying the last hour in his head. He closed his eyes and let the warm water run over his body enjoying the tired bliss he felt, even if it meant he’d be utterly exhausted by lunch.

John was not sure how long he was standing in the shower, but he welcomed the sudden hands on his shoulders that ran around to chest. He felt a warm body pressed against his back and tilted his head back.

“I couldn’t stay asleep,” Cathy said, resting her cheek on his back. He reached his hand on and squeezed one of hands, “I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“It wasn’t you,” she said as he stepped forward so that he could turn to face her. His body blocked most of the spray. She blushed as he looked over her now fully naked body with a satisfied smirk and said, “Maybe I didn’t wear you out enough.”

That wasn’t why Cathy couldn’t sleep. She had been in a rather deep sleep and then she had the sudden feeling of fall and was startled awake for no reason. She knew it was something everyone experienced but she had found it happening more and more frequently. She wished she knew what it meant though her doctor said she was creating problems that didn’t exist. Still, she didn’t want to trouble John with these concerns when he was going to have a long day at work. Besides, the thoughts did not last long in her mind as John cupped a breast in his hand and pinched her nipple firmly.

It was easy for John to push Cathy back against the cold tile wall. She gasped at the sensation as he pinned her to it. He wasted no time in lowering his head to take her other nipple in his mouth. She hooped the shower was enough to drown out her moans as it had been weeks since he had done this and god did she miss it.

Cathy gripped his arms tightly as he assaulted her body in the most incredible ways. It wasn’t long before his hand released her nipple only to be attacked by his mouth. He ran his hand along her back, cupping her bum before coming to her front. His fingers made a quick beeline for their earlier destination and soon he was pushing two digits into her, easily aided by their combined fluids from earlier and the warm water. His thumb brushed against her clit with each stroke, causing her to make sounds that sounded so much more erotic echoing in the shower.

She had not realized her eyes had been closed the whole time. Her mouth hung open, allowing heavy pants to escape and she groaned when she saw John was truly a master at multitasking. He was savoring her breasts with his mouth, stroking her insides with precision, and also running a hand up and down his own shaft. Just realizing how much he wanted to please her had pushed her over the edge and she found her high for a third time on this unusual morning.

Once he was sure his wife had hit her peak, he stood tall and placed a hand behind her neck, pulling her face to his so he could claim her mouth. He stroked himself faster until his guttural moan lost to her mouth, his release spraying on her stomach.

The couple took several moments to recover. John kept an eye on his wife to ensure she could still stand in the shower. She waved him off when she finally pushed herself off the wall and kissed him tenderly. “You are too good to me,” she muttered against his lips. He merely replied with a grin and then stood to the side so she could wash herself as she needed to get back out into the house in case any of the children were awake again.

They shared another fiery kiss before she departed the bathroom, leaving him in awe of the woman he felt lucky to call his wife.

John went back to showering, actually cleaning himself this time. As he did, he thought about how his life had come to a point he had never pictured for himself after the loss of his first wife Mary and their daughter Elizabeth during childbirth. It had been eight years since their deaths when Cathy entered his life and still another few years of total chaos until they finally found peace.

When Cathy was pregnant with Aveline, he had made the decision in his mind that he was better off without her. Timing had proved she was pregnant with Mycroft Holmes’s child and not his own, and he didn’t think he could handle that. They reconciled the day Aveline had entered the world due to some meddling from Sherlock and Molly that he would be eternally grateful for. Things had seemed settled until Mycroft returned, indicating he had taken a page from his brother’s book to save those near and dear to him. Unfortunately, he considered Cathy among them and John was almost certain he would lose her again to him. He still had no idea what happened when they ran off to Switzerland when he killed himself. He was certain they had rekindled their connection, but he found it best to leave it alone. Mycroft was permanently dead now. He was not going to let a ghost ruin his happy ending.

When Kimberly Rose Watson was born on a cool November morning, John felt the same swell of pride when he had held Aveline for the first time. Despite not being blood, he loved Aveline as much as his own children. Nothing would ever change that. With Kimmy, he felt like it was having a second chance all over again. How could he be so lucky to have Aveline and then have Kimmy after everything that he had lost before? Johnny was like the icing on the cake and his heart melted when Cathy suggested he take his name though he later joked that he should have let the middle name Hamish die with himself and not force it onto their son. They had not been trying nor were they being cautious when they discovered they were expecting their fourth child. They had not even discussed the idea of more kids. He was over the moon with the news but carefully watched his wife to make sure this was what she wanted. She showed no signs of regret, only joy that they were growing their family.

John was loving every moment of fatherhood. This morning would tire him out, but he loved watching them grow and spending time with them. He thought about how strict his own father was and how he would never make him drinking chocolate in the middle of the night no matter how bad of a scare he might have had.

What John had said earlier about retiring hadn’t just been some casual bedroom talk. He was truly considering it since the start of this most recent pregnancy. There really was no need for him to work. Despite how much he despised Mycroft, the man had set them up to be financially secure until the sun went cold. They were mindful of their expenses, never using his money for frivolous expenses. Things such as holidays or treats were paid for from John’s salary, which was quite generous to begin with. Cathy hoped to hand the majority of the fortune over to Aveline when she turned twenty-five. They wanted her to grow up comfortable but not too spoiled before becoming an independent adult. 

Teaching was a passion John had not expected to have. He loved his job dearly, but he loved his family more and wanted to spend more time with them. He was considering suggesting a move back to the countryside before the new baby arrived. He hoped leaving the city might help alleviate some of Cathy’s anxieties. They had made the move back to London after Mycroft had died. They did not want to be apart anymore when he worked during the week and she had missed the city. Now, she was always looking over her shoulder expecting an assassin to take revenge against Mycroft by attacking her family. 

Their London home had five bedrooms and though they hadn’t discussed a set number of children, John had not been entirely lying about what he said in bed. He didn’t quite want a dozen children, but he felt no desire to stop yet. He would not be opposed to another child. In fact, they had mused the thought of twins before the first scan. When they went, they were told everything was looking good but there was only one baby. They were both a little disappointed. 

“John, your breakfast is ready!” Cathy called into the bathroom, stirring John from his thoughts. He had spent too much time in the shower and even his fingers were pruned. He rinsed the last of the soap from his body and quickly got out.

It didn’t take long for John to dry off and get dressed. He spent more time on his hair than anything else. He was definitely in need of a haircut, he thought as he styled his silver hair. He couldn’t remember when the sandy blonde had faded away, but he preferred his grey hair, as did Cathy. He teased her that her first grays should be coming any day though her hair was as dark brown as the day he met her. Despite some fine lines when she smiled, she looked almost as young as when he first claimed her on the couch at Baker Street. 

John came out to the kitchen, surprised to find his wife alone, sipping tea quietly. He knew she rarely had moments like this, so he said nothing, opting to kiss her on her head as thanks for his normal breakfast, toast and bacon, she had prepared for him. She had also poured him a cup of coffee which had already cooled to the perfect temperature.

He glanced at the younger woman as he raced for time, inhaling more than chewing his food. He liked to take the bus if he could help it instead of driving. He felt more relaxed being crowded on a bus than death gripping his steering wheel in London traffic.

Cathy stood up and went to the counter to pour herself another cup of tea as John finished his breakfast. He stood as well, picking up his mug and plate to deposit in the sink. Once he set the items down, he took the opportunity to grip her hips, gently leaning on her back and said, “I wish I could thank you properly for breakfast.”

John could hear the air leaving in a silent laugh as she smiled. He smiled against her bare shoulder. She was wearing a tank top and another pair of yoga pants that displayed, in his opinion, her glorious bottom.

Cathy turned around and leaned back onto the counter, “Twice wasn’t enough for you?”

“Was it enough for you?” he replied with a cheeky grin. She leaned into him, fiddling with the buttons of his starched white shirt and said, “It was three times for me, and it’s never enough with you.”

John kissed her quickly, knowing he was running out of time. He pressed his hips against her so she could feel the stirrings of his erections, but they were quickly interrupted. 

“Mama,” Aveline said with a yawn, “are you making bacon?” She then turned the corner into the kitchen and found her parents wrapped up in each other. Her nose wrinkled in disgust and said, “You guys kiss too much.”

“You should be lucky your parents kiss so much,” John said, teasingly. He pulled away from Cathy and approached his eldest daughter. He bent the short distance to kiss the top of her head, internally dreading the day she would be too tall for him to do that. “I’m off to work, sweetie. Be good for your mother,” he said. Cathy blew him a kiss as he ran to the door to grab his bag and coat before slipping out the front door.


End file.
